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TxDOT hosts public meeting

A public meeting was held on Tuesday, July 24, 2012 by TxDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) on the project rehabilitating Lamar Street (BS 70-G) in the administration classroom at the Rolling Plains Memorial Hospital.Starting at 1 p.m., TxDOT staff was on hand at the informal, open-house meeting to answer questions and take comments. Citizens could come and go as they pleased to view exhibits of the proposed project while offering input.Exhibits available at the meeting included layouts of the proposed project, environmental documentation, tentative construction schedule and other related information. The proposed project would improve Lamar Street from Avenue B to Interstate 20, totaling about 1.286 miles. Phase One of the plan would allow for work to be done on the intersections. Then, construction on sections--about two blocks each--would follow. Included in the work would be the rehabilitation of the existing roadway with new base, asphalt pavement, sidewalks, signs and pavement markings. Plans call for the project to be built in phases with one side of Lamar Street closed at a time.While nothing has been set in stone, an estimated timeline of the project would be around 12 to 18 months for completion. Major factors that could affect the timing would be traffic and weather.TxDOT hoped for all-around input, especially from business owners, on access to their companies from the street during the construction. They also wished to hear from residential owners on the issue of driveways.The state department said that they learned quite a bit from their past experience in Sweetwater during their construction on Broadway. The Lamar Street project is expected to be quicker in that improvements on procedures and materials have been made to minimize the anticipated inconveniences.Those unable to attend the meeting, however, still have the chance to speak up on the issue. Comments will be accepted for ten days after the meeting date.In addition, anyone who didn't get the chance to see the exhibits can find them at TxDOT's Sweetwater maintenance office, located at 7526 N. I-20, as well as the Big Spring area office at 1301 N. SH 350.